Tightrope Ride / Variety Is The Spice Of Life

Catalog number K 12036 on Elektra puts this squarely in the UK market, pressed and issued in late 1971 as the band was navigating the difficult post-Morrison period. The A-side is "Tightrope Ride" and the B-side carries "Variety Is the Spice of Life," both drawn from Other Voices, the first Doors album recorded without Jim Morrison. This is the UK single release, distinct from any domestic US issue, and it represents Elektra's attempt to sustain Doors momentum in the British market following Morrison's death in July of that year. The release date is cataloged as November 1, 1971.

UK Elektra singles from this era typically arrived in a generic company sleeve rather than a picture sleeve, and K 12036 follows that convention. The standard Elektra UK house sleeve of the period used a clean, somewhat utilitarian design, usually in a single dominant color with the Elektra logo and catalog information printed plainly on the front. There is no bespoke artwork commissioned for this particular release. The label on the disc itself is where the visual interest lies: UK Elektra pressings of this era used the recognizable butterfly label, with the butterfly graphic rendered in warm orange and gold tones against a lighter background. The label text is neatly typeset, listing the track title, catalog number, and publishing information. The pressing quality typical of UK Elektra product from 1971 is generally solid; the plant was producing clean, quiet vinyl during this period, and copies that have been stored well tend to play without significant surface noise. Both tracks are stereo. The matrix area on original pressings should show hand-etched or stamped characters specific to the UK plant run, and serious collectors will want to inspect the dead wax carefully to confirm they have an original rather than a later repress. The overall physical package is modest by any standard, but the disc itself is what matters here, and the UK plant consistently delivered good quality product for Elektra during these years.

"Tightrope Ride" was selected as the lead single from Other Voices, which made commercial sense: it is one of the more accessible tracks on an album that was always going to face an uphill audience reception given the circumstances surrounding its creation. Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger share vocal duties across the album, and "Tightrope Ride" showcases the direction the remaining three members were pursuing, leaning into a slightly more polished rock sound while retaining the psychedelic undertow the band had always carried. The B-side, "Variety Is the Spice of Life," is a deeper cut that appears on several other formats; you can cross-reference the In the Eye of the Sun EP for another release that bundles both of these tracks alongside additional material from the same sessions. There is also a separate variant of this same single pairing listed in the catalog at Tightrope Ride / Variety Is the Spice of Life, which collectors should compare directly against K 12036 to confirm country of origin and pressing details before purchasing. The Discogs data for this UK pressing shows 21 collectors currently holding it and 28 with it on their want list, which tells you the demand modestly outpaces available supply but not dramatically so. It is not a white-whale rarity, but it does not show up in bulk either. Because the band was not actively touring the UK at this point and the commercial reception to Other Voices was lukewarm relative to the classic-era albums, UK single pressings from this campaign were not manufactured in enormous quantities. Condition-sensitive copies in VG+ or better are the ones worth pursuing; worn or heavily played copies are common enough that there is no reason to settle. The single does not carry bonus content or alternate mixes; what you are buying is a clean, period-correct UK pressing of these two album tracks in the appropriate 45 format for the market.

K 12036 is a legitimate period piece from a complicated chapter in the band's history, and it belongs in any thorough Doors singles collection focused on UK pressings. It is not rare enough to command significant premiums, but finding a well-preserved copy with an undamaged sleeve and a quiet pressing is worthwhile. Collectors building out complete UK Elektra single runs will want it. Casual fans looking for the music alone have easier options, but for anyone tracking format and regional variants, this one earns its place.